Shaping of ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulses by Fourier domain harmonic generation

We present a method to finely tailor ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulses using a pulse shaper with ability in the infrared/visible spectral range. We have developed to that end a frequency doubling module in which the up-conversion mechanism is carried out in the Fourier plane of a 4 f-line. The pulse shaper is used to imprint a spectral phase and/or amplitude onto the fundamental pulse. The shaped pulse is then frequency doubled through the module which transfers the applied spectral shaping to the second harmonic field in a predictable manner. The relevance of the method is demonstrated by synthesizing and characterizing shaped pulses at a central wavelength of 400 nm. The results demonstrate a full control over the spectral phase and amplitude of the harmonic field. The experimental setup is simple and features interesting prospects for the polarization shaping of ultraviolet pulses and the production of shaped ultraviolet pulses requested for the seeding of free-electron lasers. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America